The present invention broadly relates to a new and improved apparatus or drive for processing printed products, especially for inserting or stuffing inserts or supplements or the like into the printed products.
Generally speaking, the processing apparatus of the present invention comprises a cell wheel or processing drum rotatably driven about its substantially horizontal longitudinal axis. At the periphery or circumference of the cell wheel or processing drum there are located open compartments for receiving the printed products and which extend in the direction of their lengthwise axis or longitudinal direction of extent. Means for feeding or advancing transporting the printed products in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the cell wheel are provided in each cell or compartment and are operatively effective in the longitudinal direction of extent thereof.
A processing apparatus or device of this type is known from the German Patent Publication Nos. 2,447,336 and 2,604,101 and the respective corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,399, granted Apr. 20, 1976, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,202, granted Nov. 15, 1979. At a predetermined speed of rotation of the cell wheel or processing drum, it is possible with these known apparatuses to process a predetermined number of printed products. However, if a larger quantity of printed products should be processed, then the arriving stream of printed products must either be divided between two processing drums or cell wheels, or the speed of rotation of the processing drum or cell wheel must be increased. Increasing the speed of rotation of the processing drum or cell wheel is not possible or at best is only possible to a limited degree since any increase in the speed of rotation results in a shorter length of time in which the printed products dwell in the cell wheel or processing drum, that is to say a shorter processing time results.